The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-02-18

In taking up the question of candi-
dates for the Office of County Treasur-
er alluded to in the article published
by Mr.. Simmons we can hardly recon-
cile his love for the one-armed soldier.
his anxiety for his welfare, his pathetic
appeals to our County Board in his be-
half at the present time, with the action
be took in this matter seventeen years
ago. At that time, we are informed,
Capt. Frantz was poor one-armed
soldier thaving undoubtedly endured
all the hardships and sufferings so
graphically described by Mr.. Simmons),
and at that time sorely in need of a posi-
ton, and at time when those sacred
pledges so eloquently alluded to in Mr..
Simmons late address to the County
Board must have been fresh in his
memory. Strange and even impossible
as it may seem to many, nevertheless,
We are informed, that at that very
time, when Capt. Frantx was trying to
get the post Office at Kenosha, Mr.. Sim
mons did not see fit TO help him, but,
on the contrary, used his patriotism
and influence in behalf of another per-
son (not a soldier by his support on
his petition and by writing letter to
Congressman Payne, asking him to
give the Office to this person. Now
our County Board entertains as pro-
found respect for those who periled
their lives in the defence of our coun-
try as Mr.. Simmons, particularly our
brave soldier, Captain FrantZ. This is
proved by the number of votes he re-
ceived from our convention for the
Office of Sheriff, and it was with deep
regret that we witnessed his defeat at
that time, and had it not been for the
irrecOncilable acts of the party who
presented his name he might have been
elected County Treasurer.
We, as com nittee, are not to sit in
judgment nor criticise the action of
our County Board, but we feel it a
duty we owe the public and ourselves
to state that it Is our belief that the
County Board did not intend to wrong
Captain FrantZ. but that their action
was based on the firm belief that Mr.
Simmons and not Captain FrantZ was
the interested party from the amount of
good evidence produced. This is no
unreasonable conclusion to arrive at.
The intended appointment of deputy of
Mr.. Clark to Mr.. Simmons son, his in.
difference to the welfare of Captain
Frantz heretofore alluded to, and the
pertinacity with which he pursued his
purpose have very strong tendency to
confirm this belief.
There have many inquiries been
made as to why, when Mr.. Simmons
came before the Board, stating that
the claims of sheriffs, justices, etc.,
were a swindle against the county, and
offered that, in case a suit was insti-
tuted and the county were defeated,
he would pay the cost of conducting the
same through the courts,his proposition
was not accepted. In reply we would
state that there is no record of any
such offer being made by Mr.. Simmons
or any other person, and we have not
as yet (although we have made inquiry
of majority of those who were mem,
bers at that time) found any one that
is not willing to testify that Mr.. Sim
mons never made that offer to the
Board in their hearing. Perhaps he
made it like the one he made when we
were considering the question in re-
gard to the construction of county
buildings, when he asked to be permit
ted to build them for the county, stat
ing that he would not be afraid to put
up the buildings according to the plan
he had in his mind and run the risk of
the county taking them. But under
stand this was no proposition to the
Board. We wish it had been.
MIR. Simmons, in further alluding to
this matter, says: "A fair and liberal
compensation to the sheriff, including
rent, fuel and light, would not exceed
$4,000 per annum at the outside. Yet
our Board has paid the late sheriff 3d.
9S5.S2 for the year just ended, and has
fixed the pay of the present sheriff at
$4,000 per annum. Now here we be-
lieve that in this matter the people of
the county should give heed, and as
this is question on which the people
of this county are evidently not posted,
we purpose right here to give it an air.
ing. We will give report of the sal
aries or amounts paid our different
.sheriffs and justices, as taken from our
records, including the year 1887.